Advice from the seasoned writers, doubt from the beginner

I sit on a couch reading on my Kindle, occasionally putting it down, sipping peppermint tea, and watching angry clouds racing above wind-tormented trees. “Bird by Bird” and “Views from a Window Seat” invited me to be in the company of wise writers, listening to their stories and thoughts. I had been thirsty for the words of Anne Lamott and Jeannine Atkins, reading one book right after another. Their words swirl in my head. Educating, enjoyable, touching words. Yet, a doubt creeps up unexpectedly. Would their words help me - a rather novice writer, or any other adult just starting out on their writing journey?

Anne Lamott and Jeannine Atkins say that the most important thing in writing is to just sit down and write. They share that even when faced with struggles, worries, fears, doubts, failures, mistakes and disappointment, they keep a pencil on a paper and the fingers on a keyboard, writing daily, for longer periods of time, letting the words pour out without qualification, restrictions and selections. Only later will the process of weeding and nourishing begin. From their experience they know that eventually the right words will come.

They tell the truth.

Their truth.

After hours, days, months, weeks, years, and decades of writing, having revised, edited, published and learned from the experiences they are convinced that sentences will flow forming coherent texts conveying soul-touching ideas and living images. This is what happens when they write.

The beginner truth is different. The words do not come just by sitting and writing.

It is easy to say ‘write what you see’ or ‘write with full honesty’ but this advice doesn’t help the beginner. The problem in the first place is that the beginner does not know how to make the lifeless come alive or what words to use to express inner thoughts. Adding a list of adjectives or witty verbs isn’t enough. Every beginner would love the characters whisper to them and lead the story but it’s more probable that for them characters feel like flat lifeless paper dolls. The beginner may know about the plot mountain, character development, signposts, literary devices, text structure, themes, genres, nifty craft moves, and fancy words but it’s not enough. They can write for hours but only bland words, hazy vision and scrambled texts appear on the paper or screen.

To write great it’s not enough to have just daily hours of writing.

First there has to be an unbearable need to write. Not a thought like “everybody writes, so will I” but an unexplainable need to live life through written words, almost “I can’t live without writing” feeling. Passion drives the writing more than the word count.

Second writers need keen eyes and sharp ears, a sense of sound and taste of letters. Not a long list of vocabulary or fast thesaurus flipping skills, rather an ability to choose and match words that start breathing on their own. The goal is to create texts that stir emotions and become permanently part of reader’s thought matrix.

Third the writers need high tolerance for pain. Not in a sense that they can write gross scenes without flinching, but rather willingness to dig deep to the soul, share what matters to them most and be ready that others may reject what is precious to them.

Considering writing from this point of view beginner would quit writing before starting. I searched for reasoning that would help to overcome the “I am not a writer. It’s too late to start. I will never be as good as real writers.” 

I don’t know whether one is born a writer or grows into one.

I know that all the experienced writers were beginners once.

I also know that learning to write well is useful not just for writers. Anyone can benefit from writing, whether they use the writing to share or gain something publicly, or write privately to remember and sort experiences, feelings and thoughts. 

I believe that with practice and following rules, advice and examples everyone can learn to write reasonably well and engagingly.

The only way to learn and become better at writing is to write.

Maybe out of the writing practice and experience the passion will grow.

Not everyone has to become great and famous. That is not the reason to write.

Maybe beginners need a little hope that they will get past the “blah” and experience some joy from the words they have put on the paper.

Without trying they will never find out what they are capable of.

I take another sip of tea and reach for my writer’s notebook. I know that I will return to both books but now it’s my turn to write. First some quotes and then my slice.

“We can accept, and some days even treasure, who we are, but sometimes we should tramp into new territory and aim for different notes, volumes, and rhythms.”

Jeannine Atkins

“I don’t think you have time to waste not writing because you are afraid.”

Anne Lamott

“The trick is to keep a spirit of play.”

Jeannine Atkins

“ It (writing) is a matter of persistence and faith and hard work. So you might as well just go ahead and get started.”

Anne Lamott